Folding display rack



Aug. 15, 1961 c. M. HUCK 2,996,194

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Filed Aug. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ZL Q 'L M W S. W

Aug. 15, 1961 c. M. HUCK 2,996,194

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Filed Aug. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

IN V EN TOR.

BY W 5. W4

United States Patentfiic Patented Aug. 15, 1961 2,996,194 FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Charles M. Huck, Hidden Valley Farm, Oldwick, NJ. Filed Aug. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 832,654 10 Claims. (Cl. 211-179) The present invention relates to display devices.

More particularly, the present invention relates to collapsible display devices provided with one or more panels which are adapted to carry articles which are to be displayed.

With display devices of this type, it is not only important that the devices be collapsible and expandable so that they can be easily transported when collapsed and quickly and easily set up but, in addition, it is important that the devices be quite compact when collapsed and that simple easily operable structures be available for maintaining the display devices in their expanded conditions while they are set up for use.

One of the objects of the present invention is to render a display arrangement of the above type self-sustaining when set up simply as a result of setting up the display arrangement and without requiring any special devices or operations for this purpose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means which will not only render a display arrangement of the above type self-sustaining but which also will be collapsible and expandable with the remainder of the display arrangement.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display arrangement of the above type which easily lends itself to combination with floor engaging members for increasing the stability of the display arrangement, when desired.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a display arrangement of the above type with a means which will illuminate desired portions of the dis play arrangement and which will, at the same time, be collapsible and expandable with the display arrangement without decreasing to an appreciable degree the compactness of the assembly when collapsed.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of one possible display arrangement according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the display arrangement of FIG. 1 in collapsed condition; a

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the expanded display arrangement showing a diiferent lighting arrangement for the sign;

FIG. 4 shows the structure of FIG. 3 at the first stage in the collapse thereof; a

FIG. 5 shows a subsequent stage in the collapse of the structure; and

FIG. 6 shows the fully collapsed structure.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the display arrangement illustrated therein includes a pair of panel means 30 and 31. Each of these panel means includes a panel member. Thus, FIG. 1 shows the panel member 10 of the panel means 3% and the panel member 11 of the panel means 31. Each panel means also has a pair of opposite parallel side edges formed by a pair of elongated panelcarrying members. Thus, FIG. 1 showsthe pair of panelcarrying members 120 and 12b of the panel means 31, as well as the panel-carrying member 16a of the panel means 36. The panel-carrying member 16b is visible in FIG. 3.

These panel-carrying members may take the form, for example, of elongated channel members which receive the side edges of the panels 10 and 11, and these latter side edges may be fixed in the channel members in any suitable way as with suitable rivets, as by having a press fit therein, by being glued therein, etc.

The structure of the invention also includes elongated strut members. Thus, as may be seen from FIG. 1, the strut members 18a and 18b are pivotally connected at their centers respectively to substantially central points of the side edges of the panel means 30 and, in the same way, a pair of elongated strut members 14a and 141) are pivotally connected to the side edges of the panel means 31. The strut members are of substantially the same length as the side edges of the panel means and are located alongside of the latter and are freely turnable with respect thereto. As is apparent from FIG. 1, when the display arrangement of the invention is set up, the panel means and strut members have lower and upper ends. As may be seen from FIG. 1, the lower ends of the strut members 18a and 18b are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the panel-carrying members 12a and 12b, respectively, and the upper ends of the strut members 14a and 14b are pivotally connected with the lower ends of the panelcarrying members 16:: and 16b, respectively. All of these pivotal connections are freely turnable. For example, suitable bolts may pass freely through openings of the strut members into threaded engagement with the panel-carrying members without, however, pressing the strut members against the panel-carrying members, respectively, and with the strut members located between the heads of the bolts and the panel-carrying members so that in this way, freely turnable pivotal connections are provided.

It is, therefore, clear that the structure of the invention provides in a pair of parallel planes, respectively, a pair of lazy tongs capable of being expanded and collapsed as respectively indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, if this were the complete structure, there would be nothing to maintain the display arrangement in its expanded condition illustrated in FIG. 1 since the pair of lazy tongs would simply collapse. According to the present invention, a means is provided for rendering the display arrangement self-sustaining and this means is pivotally connected to the upper free end portions of the pair of lazy tongs. Thus, it will be seen that a pair of additional strut members 15a and 15b are pivotally connected to the upper free, end portions of the panel-carrying members 16a and 16b and extend forwardly from these panel-carrying members in the expanded position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 across and beyond the top free ends of the pair of upper strut members 18a and 18b. In addition, this means which render the display arrangement self-sustaining includes a pair of elongated overhang members 17a and 17b, which form part of an overhang panel means which includes the panel 19 fixed to the members 17a and 17b in the same way that the panels 10 and 11 are fixed to the above-described panel-carrying members. Therefore, the elements 17a, 17b and 19 form an overhang panel means which is of substantially the same construction as the panel means 36 and 31. This overhang panel means is pivotally connected at its side edges to the upper free end portions of the upper strut members 18a and 18b and the front ends of the strut members 15a and 15!) are pivotally connected to the overhang members 17a and 17b, respectively, forwardly of the pair of lazy tongs so as to provide the structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. It will be noted that the overhang panel means extends in a substantially horizontal plane and that the strut members 15a and 15b extend alongside of the overhang panel means while engaging the top free ends of the strut members 13a and 18b. In order for the device to collapse, it is necessary for the top free ends of the panel-carrying members 16a and 16b to turn away from the top free ends of the strut members 18a and 18b. This would require that the forces acting on the structure to tend to collapse the same be great enough to turn the overhang panel means in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3. However, because the members 17a and 17b are connected to the top free end portions of the strut members 18a and 18b, respectively, while the strut members 15a and 15b engage the top end faces of the strut members 18a and 18b, the moment arm available for turning the overhang means in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, is extremely small and, therefore, the forces which tend to collapse the device cannot produce the necessary clockwise turning of the overhang panel means so that, as a result, with the structure of the invention, the display arrangement remains set up when in the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 simply as a result of the overhang panel means and the pair of strut members 15a and 15b.

As a purely optional feature which is not at all essential, a pair of elongated floor members 13a and 13b may be pivotally connected to the bottom ends of the strut members 14a and 14b, respectively, and extend forwardly therefrom in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, and these floor members 13a and 13b may be in the form of channels which slidably receive the lower free ends of the panel-carrying members 12a and 12b. Thus, these floor members may be used when desired to provide added stability. However, they are not at all necessary to the invention and the display arrangement is self-sustaining and will remain in the set up condition illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 without the floor members.

In order to illuminate the front face of the panel 11, the rear face of the panel 10 carries an illuminating means 22 in the form of any suitable lamps provided with current from batteries also carried by the panel 10 at its rear face, or the lamps may be energized through electrical conductors of any type extending from the display device to a suitable wall plug, for example. Since the illuminating means 22 is at the rear face of the panel 10, this illuminating means itself is not visible when the display arrangement of the invention is set up.

A sign 20 may be suspended from the underside of the panel 19 by any suitable hinge structure 32 so as to be freely swingable to the vertical position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, and this sign 20 can carry on its front face any suitable markings such as a company name, as indicated in FIG. 1. As is shown in FIG. 1, the sign can carry at its rear face an illuminating means 21 substantially identical with the illuminating means 22 for illuminating the front face of the panel 12 without being visible from the front of the display device. However, if desired, the illuminating means 21 may be carried by the underside of the panel 19, as shown in FIG. 3. In the case of FIG. 3, the sign 20' is translucent, and the lamp 20 provides sufiicient light to also illuminate panel means 30.

The manner in which the structure is collapsed is demonstrated in FIGS. 4-6. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the overhang panel means is now manually turned in a clockwise direction from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 4 so that the entire device starts to collapse, and also the sign 20' is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, by the operator. The collapsing continues through the position illustrated in FIG. to the final position illustrated in FIG. 6.

As may be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance a between the pivot connections of each of members 17a and 17b plus the distance b between the pivot connections of each of members 15a and 15b equals the distance c between the end pivot connections of each of the members 18a and 18b, so that the compact collapsed assembly of FIGS. 2 and 6 is provided. As is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 6, in the collapsed position of the parts, the illuminating means 22 is located beyond and alongside of the bottom edge of the lowermost panel 11, so that the compactness is not influenced by the illuminating means 22. Also, it will be noted from FIG. 6 that the illuminating means 21 is located alongside of the sign 20 so that the illuminating means 21 also does not undesirably influence the compactness of the assembly. In the arrangement of the illuminating means 21 shown in FIG. I, the illuminating means 21 simply is located on the top of the sign 20 in the collapsed position shown in FIG. 2.

Any suitable means such as magnets, clips, or the like are carried by the panels 10, '11 for attaching thereto the articles to be displayed.

Of course, any desired number of panels may be provided and the lazy tongs may be as long as desired.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of display arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in collapsible display arrangements, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can. by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a display arrangement, in combination, panel means adapted to carry articles which are to be displayed, said panel means having a pair of parallel side edges which are co-extensive; a pair of elongated strut members substantially the same length as said side edges, respectively, located beside said side edges, said strut members being respectively connected pivotally substantially at their centers to said side edges substantially at the centers of the latter, said strut members having, when the display arrangement is set up for use, free upper end portions; a pair of elongated overhang members respectively connected pivotally to said upper free end portions of said strut members and extending forwardly from the latter when the display arrangement is set up for use; and a pair of additional strut members respectively connected to said side edges of said panel means adjacent the upper ends of said side edges when the device is set up for use, said additional strut members extending forwardly from said panel means beyond the top ends of said pair of first-mentioned strut members and being pivotally connected, respectively, to said overhang members at portions thereof located forwardly of said first-mentioned strut members when the device is set up for use, and said additional strut members respectively resting against the top ends of said first-mentioned strut members and extending forwardly from the latter top ends substantially alongside said overhang members so that the latter resist any tendency of the display arrangement to collapse whereby the display arrangement is rendered self-sustaining by said overhang members and said additional strut members.

2. In a display arrangement, in combination, panel means having a pair of opposite side edges; a pair of elongated strut members pivotally connected intermediate their ends to said side edges, respectively, for turning movement with respect to said side edges about a common axis, said strut members respectively crossing said side edges when the display arrangement is set up and in said set up condition, said strut members and side edges respectively having upper end portions; overhang means pivotally connected to said upper end portions of said strut members for connecting the latter together for turning movement as a unit, said overhang means extending forwardly from said strut members when the arrangement is set up; and a pair of additional strut members 'espectively connected pivotally to the upper end portions of said side edges and extending forwardly therefrom across the top ends of said first-mentioned strut members to side edges, respectively, of said overhang means and said additional strut members being pivotally connected to said side edges of said overhang means at points located forwardly of said first-mentioned strut members and said additional strut members engaging the top ends of said first-mentioned strut members so that said additional strut members and overhang means render the display arrangement self-sustaining and are also collapsible with said panel means and first-mentioned strut members.

3. In a display arrangement, in combination, a pair of identical lazy tongs respectively located in parallel planes and being collapsible and expandable in said planes, said pair of lazy tongs providing, when expanded in said planes, pairs of parallel panel-carrying members respectively located in said planes and pairs of strut members also located in said planes and said pair of lazy tongs, when expanded, having a pair of forward and a pair of rearward upper free end portions; a plurality of panels respectively extending between said planes perpendicularly thereto and respectively fixed to and carried by said pairs of panel-carrying members; and sustaining means collapsible with said lazy tongs and connected pivotally to said upper free end portions thereof for rendering said pair of lazy tongs se1f-sustaining when set up in their expanded position, said sustaining means resting in part on one of said pair of upper free end portions of said pair of lazy tongs when the latter are in their expanded position.

4. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 3, said pair of lazy tongs, when they are set up, each having a pair of lower free end portions, and a pair of floor members respectively located in said planes and respectively connected to a pair of said lower free end portions of said pair of lazy tongs and adapted to extend along a floor for providing added stability.

5. In a display arrangement, in combination, a pair of identical lazy tongs respectively located in parallel planes and being collapsible and expandable in said planes, said pair of lazy tongs providing, when expanded in said planes, pairs of parallel panel-carrying members respectively located in said planes and pairs of strut members also located in said planes and said pair of lazy tongs, when expanded, each having a pair of upper free end portions; a plurality of panels respectively extending between said planes perpendicularly thereto and respec- 5 tively fixed to and carried by said pairs of panel-carrying members; and means collapsible with said lazy tongs and connected pivotally to said upper free end portions thereof for rendering said pair of lazy tongs self-sustaining when set up in their expanded position, said pair of lazy tongs, when set up, having one pair of said upper free end portions forming parts of a pair of panel-carrying members and located rearwardly of the other pair of said upper free end portions of said lazy tongs, said means for rendering the pair of lazy tongs self-sustaining including overhang panel means pivotally connected to said other pair of upper free end portions and extending forwardly therefrom in a substantially horizontal plane when the pair of lazy tongs are expanded; and a pair of elongated members respectively connected pivotally to said one pair of upper end portions, extending forwardly therefrom across and engaging the upper extremities of said other pair of upper free end portions, and connected pivotally to side edges, respectively, of said overhang panel means at portions of the latter side edges which are located forwardly of the pair of lazy tongs.

6. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 5, a sign hanging down from said overhang panel means at a portion of the latter located forwardly of said pair of lazy tongs, said sign having a front face carrying any desired markings and a rear face which is invisible from the front of the display arrangement, and means carried by said rear face of said sign for illuminating the front face of the uppermost panel of the display arrangement.

7. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 5, said overhang panel means having a downwardly directed underside when the display arrangement is set up, and means carried by said underside of said overhang panel means for illuminating the uppermost panel.

8. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 3, each of said panels having, when said lazy tongs are set up, front and rear faces, and the panel which is located over the lowermost panel, when said lazy tongs are expanded, carrying at its rear face, means for illuminating the front face of said lowermost panel.

9. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 8, said illuminating means being located beyond said lowermost panel when the pair of lazy tongs are collapsed.

10. In a display arrangement as recited in claim 2, the distance along each additional strut member from its pivotal connection to the upper end portion of a side edge of said panel means to its pivotal connection to a side edge of said overhang means plus the distance from the latter pivotal connection along each side edge of the overhang means to the pivotal connection thereof to said first-mentioned strut member being approximately equal to the length of each first-mentioned strut member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 121,596 Dennis Dec. 5, 1871 1,035,552 Doering Aug. 13, 1912 2,429,034 Smith Oct. 14, 1947 

